Angra's 'Cycles of Pain' - Album Review

Now fully entrenched in their third era, the Brazilian progressive/power metal band Angra are arguably as strong now as they ever have been. Whilst some will point towards the early period when they were fronted by the late Andre Matos as the glory years and others will favour Edu Falaschi's harder-hitting era - but I really think that the current line-up of the band is my favourite configuration of the five-piece yet. For a band that has a pretty lengthy and diverse catalogue, it is probably quite rare for my favourite release from such a band to be their last album - but 2018's Ømni (which I reviewed here) is, in my opinion, their masterpiece. This is probably not a view shared to many, but everything that is great about the band from a songwriting and melodic perspective is exhibited throughout Ømni. It feels tight, yet the songs' arrangements are diverse, and the amount of memorable choruses packed onto the album makes it one that I kept coming back to for a long time following its release. It even featured in my Albums of 2018 list, coming in at number 2 - behind only Orphaned Land's Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs. Whilst the Fabio Lione era of Angra began in reality with 2015's Secret Garden (which I also reviewed here), I felt that Lione never truly flourished in the frontman role until Ømni. Lione helped to co-write much of Ømni, whereas his writing contributions were less prominent on Secret Garden - and the 2015 album also saw guitarist Rafael Bittencourt step up as a vocalist and take on quite a significant chunk of that album's lead vocals - which has not happened in a significant way since. This means that Secret Garden stands alone as a bit of an outlier in the band's catalogue. I listened to it a lot at the time, but Ømni for me was the real deal - and Lione breathed fresh life into Angra in my opinion. It was also the band's first album without guitarist Kiko Loureiro, now ex-Megadeth, and with Marcelo Barbosa in his place. When I reviewed Ømni I thought that Loureiro was still technically a part of Angra - but recent years have proved that to not be the case. He contributed to one song on Ømni, but since then Barbosa's role in the band has grown further - and he is very much Bittencourt's guitar partner at this point. Five years on from Ømni, then, it was certainly time for something new - so I lapped up Cycles of Pain when it dropped last month. The second album with the band's current line-up, Cycles of Pain is the first release without any involvement at all from Loureiro - and it also continues the development of the Lione era. Where Ømni was concise and packed full of hooks, Cycles of Pain leans much more into the band's progressive influences. This is a technical and varied album which rewards repeated listens - but does not soar in the same way that Ømni did. As such, I have not connected with the band's tenth album as much as I had hoped given how much I enjoyed Ømni, but the two albums are very different in style - which is fitting given how Angra's sound has developed from their 1991 genesis to now. This album also sees the band work with producer Dennis Ward for the first time since 2006's Aurora Consurgens - which may have also played a part in the overall direction taken.

Following the short introduction piece Cyclus Doloris, which sets a slow-burning tone with its organ melodies and choral vocals, the album kicks off proper with the hard-hitting Ride into the Storm - opening with a rhythmic riff and some excellent drumming from Bruno Valverde. This opening riff showcases the overall heaviness which the album goes for, but the soaring guitar lead section which takes over is very much classic power metal in tone. There are lots of classic progressive and power metal tropes to be found here - and Ride into the Storm is one of the album's most instant pieces. It very much harks back to the glory days of the mid-2000s power metal scene, but there is a heaviness throughout which that scene often lacked. The keyboards are generally toned down, providing an atmospheric backing, whilst the riffing is much tougher - with both Bittencourt and Barbosa cutting through the mix nicely. Lione, who turns in a fantastic vocal performance throughout this album, really soars here. He exhibits some different vocal styles elsewhere, but here he sounds very much within his typical range - with the fast-paced chorus soaring in classic symphonic metal fashion, whilst a busy guitar melody sits beneath him. There are certainly shades of the previous album within this song, then, but I would actually say that it harks back to the early days of the band a bit more. I could hear Matos singing this one - but there are some twists and turns such as a solo section which morphs into a slightly jazzy series of a melodies and an acoustic-led bridge section which then explodes into a flurry of double bass drum rolls and a final reprise of the chorus. Dead Man on Display showcases the band's heavier tendencies from the off. Valverde leads the way with a busy drum groove, which the dual leads of Bittencourt and Barbosa dance atop. This intro speeds up and becomes heavier as it moves along - before morphing into a crunching, mid-paced verse made up of chugging power chords and punchy drums. Lione sings in a lower register during the verses, which adds to the heavier feel, and he sounds surprisingly gritty here. In truth, Lione has always been a more diverse singer than many credit him with being - and he nails the tougher vibe present here. He does let rip a bit more during the chorus, though, which feels a bit more melodic thanks to a snaking synth lead some riffing which sounds like a modern take on some NWOBHM-esque patterns. This is a catchy moment, which breaks away from the heaviness somewhat, but a later off-kilter riff-led section and a very Dream Theater-esque solo spot with progressive drum arrangements act as changes of pace. The two-part Tide of Changes follows. The first part is short and gentle, with Felipe Andreoli's bass melodies providing a backing for Lione's floaty vocals. It sets up the main second part of the song nicely, which soon announces its presence with more of a band arrangement - but the track is still pretty dynamic. It does grow in stature and get heavier, but it also retains some ballad-esque sounds. The verses are pretty atmospheric, which allows Lione to sing in a gentle manner, whilst the choruses are tougher - albeit with a memorable string backing and a somewhat organic overall sound. Later verses are groovier, with busier drum patterns which feed into the album's progressive feel. This is exemplified late on, too, when Andreoli launches into some driving bass riffs - which then give way to a busy, yet melodic, guitar solo section.

Vida Seca, which features the vocal talents of Brazilian blues rocker Lenine, is one of the band's many efforts which leans into the music of their homeland. This has not been as prevalent in more recent years, possibly due to Lione being Italian, but Vida Seca opens with Lenine's organic vocals, sung in Portuguese, against some acoustic guitars and Brazilian percussion. The song in general is heavier, though, but these opening grooves are retained throughout. It becomes much more traditionally metal, but Valverde's drumming throughout retains the spirit of the earlier percussion - and the riffing throughout is a bit more off-kilter, despite the soaring string backing and a really melodic vocal approach from Lione. Despite the grooves and the stop-start riffing, the song is one of the hookiest here. Lione uses his grit during the verses to add to the overall power - whilst the chorus feels like some of the best moments from the previous album. The track is one of the album's stand-out cuts in my opinion, and it shows that Angra often excel when they introduce Brazilian elements into their sound. Gods of the World is another strong cut, but for different reasons. This is a track which leans into the heavier overall sound of the album - and goes for some slightly thrash-influenced riffing whilst also packing in plenty of melodies. There are also some very Dream Theater-esque moments here, such as the opening guitar lead and parts of the verses, but generally the track is more hard-driving with its thrashy riffing and Lione's full-bodied vocal performance. He really soars here, spitting out the fast-paced chorus vocals with a rarely-seen grit, whilst during other sections he feels more within his traditional wheelhouse - with the approach to guitars similar with a mix of technical riffing and almost off-hand melodic injections. The song is one of the album's anthems and I imagine it will become a live favourite going forward. The title track follows, opening with piano melodies, and the slower-burning piece acts as a welcome change of pace. It certainly has the feel of a ballad throughout, with the piano retained and Andreoli's melodic bass slides setting the tone early on. It does grow in stature, with an enjoyable drum groove and guitar depth, but really this is a piano-led ballad which has just been fleshed out with some rock arrangements. Lione channels the more operatic side of his voice here, which he unleashes during the emotional chorus to great effect, whilst a guitar solo later apes this emotional approach with a soaring instrumental section that perfectly fits into the song's symphonic and grand sound. Faithless Sanctuary also opens with Brazilian percussion, but unlike Vida Seca the song does not feel as reliant on it - with the grooves instead setting the tone for an opening guitar-led section which channels some strong neo-classical influences. This guitar flourish is packed full of character, but it is generally quite different from what follows. Whilst the song does not feel particularly Brazilian, the grooves from the intro do influence the direction of travel - and the song is very tech metal in feel. This is no djent piece, but the riffing certainly feels off-kilter throughout - and there are lots of different sections stitched together to create something progressive and expansive. The band have flirted with this elsewhere on the album, but this song sees that approach given full exposure. The song is less hooky as a result, with Lione going for a tougher vocal approach to fit in with all of the riffing, but for a heavy explosion of different guitar patterns and inventive drumming the song is a winner.

Here in the Now is more melodic overall and reins in the more explosive and overtly progressive vibes of the previous song. Opening with an expansive guitar pattern and some wordless vocal hooks, the slower track feels more cinematic than much of what has come on the album up to this point. There is a strong keyboard and string backing throughout - and it is another song which channels Dream Theater quite a bit, particularly their more floaty, melodic pieces. The approach to guitar leads here is very John Petrucci-esque and the track feels based around the vocal hooks of Lione. He has often exhibited a grittier approach throughout this album, but here he channels his smoother side - familiar to those Rhapsody fans who enjoy that band's slower material. Despite the more melodic approach taken here, though, the song still channels some progressive influences. The guitar solo section is very busy despite it being easy on the ear and the overall atmospheric depth feels more well-developed than simply a few chords from a keyboard. Generations Warriors returns to a much more overt power metal sound. It channels the vibe in which the album kicked off with Ride into the Storm - and it is another song which I could see the early iterations of the band recording. It feels quite retro in that respect then, with busy shredded guitar leads, pacy verses, and a big chorus which is packed with some high-pitched Lione vocals. Despite the diversity of this album, I like how the band have written a couple of old-school power metal anthems here. It is not a sound that they have toyed with in quite the same way for a while, with even the most anthemic pieces on the previous album feeling a bit different, so this nod to their past is welcome despite the album's general focus on more progressive sounds. As such, then, Generation Warriors is pretty uncomplicated compared to most of the other songs here. It is very much a straight ahead power metal anthem which rarely lets up pace-wise and features a lot of excellent lead guitar melodies and one of the hookiest choruses here. Lione sounds like his old self and I would not be surprised to see the song become a live staple due to its energy. The album then comes to a close with Tears of Blood - a dramatic and symphonic piece which features the operatic vocal talents of Amanda Somerville (Aina; HDK; Trillium) and piano from Juliana D'Agostini. Lione and Somerville sing the song as a duet, and the symphonic piece allows Lione to channel his more operatic side. The male vocals are quite deep so I thought it must be someone else doing them - but no-one is credited, so Lione has really pushed him self here. He used his operatic side during the early days of Rhapsody, but it is not something that he has utilised all that much of late - so hearing him lean so heavily into a more classical style is great, and he mixes well with Somerville throughout the piano-led, yet epic, anthem. The chorus is another excellent moment and the song smoulders with emotion to close out the album. Whilst I may not think that this album is quite as good as Ømni, it is certainly more diverse and my opinion of it is likely to only improve over time. It is great to hear the band sounding so inventive and progressive so deep into their career and Lione really seems to have given Angra a new lease of life in recent years. There is a lot to love here as a result and the amount of digestion required rewards repeat listens.

The album was released on 3rd November 2023 via Atomic Fire Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Ride into the Storm.